NBA Trade Rumors: Brooklyn Nets Making Calls About Kevin Garnett

With Kevin Garnett‘s scenario of joining the Los Angeles Clippers up in smoke (Doc Rivers’ new contract includes a stipulation that L.A. and Boston can’t trade players until the end of the 2013-14 season), you’d think that he’d be open to new destinations outside of the rebuilding situation in Beantown. And that is exactly what Brooklyn Nets GM Billy King is betting on.

Today’s NY Daily News cites “several sources” that claim King has been making moves to gauge KG’s interest in BK, despite some clear obstacles:

So Garnett and his two-year, $24.4 million contract are seemingly on the market. His teammate, Paul Pierce, is probably also on Brooklyn’s radar after being a target for consecutive trade deadlines.

As much as the Nets would love Garnett, it’s an unlikely pairing given the obstacles. Not only is it still unclear whether he’d agree to join the Nets â€” which is what King was hoping to figure out by reaching out to a third party â€” there’s also a very high hurdle of negotiating an inter-division trade.

But it’s no surprise King inquired about Garnett, a 15-time All-Star and former MVP. The Nets not only desire a reliable starting power forward, they could use a vocal and respected leader. Garnett fits the mold.

He was the Nets’ longshot free-agent target last summer, when King missed out on Dwight Howard before signing Kris Humphries to a two-year deal.

Garnett, who has demonstrated he’s still very valuable in the postseason, also was Jason Kidd’s teammate on the 2000 gold medal-winning Olympic squad.